Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-05
PHILOSOPHY ON A ROOF.

| A citizen sat on his roof one hot night
His coat WAS of, and as he tipped back
his chair his Supposed feet rested against
u chimney. The night was still and the
summer stars were AN in sight. He
smoked tobacco out of an eight cent bag
in a clay pipe-for he was poor. As the
smoke curled slowly above his bare head
he gazed contemplatively into measurable
space. The butchers bill had not been
paid for a month, and the grocer had
twice given him warning Of forthcoming
legal action, but his mind was serene at
that hour. All his life he had followed
the advice Of the practical philosopher to
| "iet Jones walk and he had the faculty
of reflective and poetic natures for slough
ing Off the paltry and the commonplace
and wrapping himself in exalting and
consolatory reverie. He ggzed upon the
countless stars, and as he mused he elo-
quently discussed to the friend beside
him.
What a truly sublin science" said
he, lis astronomy. How magnificent its
revelations, how suprerte its teachings
how startling its deductions. Conceive if
you can the full magnitude Of distances in
this solar system alone. Grapple with
the astounding fact that the diameter Of
onrs is but ann !, siz. of its eis,ht ,,ian-
ets be;ny In fac, but ahou, OOO niles
In diameter Jess than one..an,b tho dj,-
meter Of Juniter Humble vour mid. bv
copsi,lering thar we have bnt one moon
.y,;ns, tbe fopr satellites ~ Irn;,sr ,b.
e;,,bt q, Saturn the fnur NJ I-r,nns Con-
slider that while we are Of 5OO OOO miles
from the sun Nen,nne 10 nearly 2 OOO
0OG ono and a common hall traveI;ng 5OO
miles an hour wonld be some SOS Years
re,cb;ng TIM, nJanet Ohl;ga M. by no
calling the yeIa.ities Of the primary nIan-
cts What an amazing subject for con-
temnlation, Let ms commute tho we;,,b,
of the earth in tons say at sly tbousand
million million times a million Vet this
body so inconceiyably vast IL rnsbing
through the abyss OF space with a velocitS
OF 600 miles per minute or about 15 miles
dnrino every pulsa,ion Of. the heart Rpt
the earth. mark Won. the earth in comnari-
SON with the body around which il ia revoIv.
inc ia as a single grain Of wheat comnarad
with four bnsbels Consider tban wba.
Won have CRASHED this idea that this solar
system Of Ours is but one Of a countless
number. thnt every star ia a snn and the
center of n system like our own. that onr
snn itself IL INT a star Of the secopd mac
ni,ude. that behind the countless milIions
Of star, visible To the telescor,e tho ia
reason for believing that LIGHT itself is
gradually absorbed and extinruished he
fore reaching US in its Journey from stars
I'm the remote regions of the universe
phewp'
Tho philosopher pufYed his CLAW nine in
an ecstasy of enthusiasm. He had rolled
words and figures in his mouth rs though
he tasted them and liked the taste. Their
declu,ition made him thirsty. The whirl-
inys, biaziucs, splutterings. crushiurs.
c-acklincs and carecrings visible 10 the
eye Of his mind had heated his brain and
p.:ched his tongue. His face was flushed
il. the moonlight as he got up and went
T. the sky,;ght.
.'Polly," he called down. "brinr nm a
couple of ber-, will yous''
A careworp woman could be heard
Climbing the stairs AID presently her head
rarsed itself above the scuttle.
Beer said she scornfully. "Beer,
o. yes. OF course, beer. Ycu set up her.
a moonin' and a smokin' as peaceful an
cam as il all I'd got do was T. turn a
fasset and beerd run .nssr tn, washtub.
An there's that all hair 9th sofy n lawn,
down cellar waitin' t. be split into kind
Inns and me without a stick to kindle fire
in tn mornin'. II you'd hustle a little
around tn house. maybe you,d have a HOY
o. beer in tn ice box stead o. hayin' the
saloon keeper sendin' back word that Won
git no more beer till he sees tn money
for the last three boxes. You da,st ask
me for beer when YOU know you drinked
tn last bottle with that good for nothing
Jackson last night. Ineyer see,-
..Enouph,, interposed the nbilosonber
calmly. "Go down.,
"Ah. YES. III 90 down. cried the
woman. defiantly "Iu 90 when I've
had nv say, an don't care who you,ye
got up there alop- with Won lean slave
and toll like a wench and much you care
as long as you'ye got n pine o. tobacco an
N cane seated chair an, a roof And vour
own danobter coin, I, m, nublic school
wearin' her own mothers stockings. Hal
And maybe YOU think it's to economics
that we're burnin' kerosene tonight.
Much you know about your own house
when the gas man can come in and shut |
of the meter because bills amt paid an
you never ask a aquestion. Ha: All, you,
you can set there and call for beer like the |
king o the Sandwich Islands. that they've |
been revolutin, an l hope they ii kill the |
brute, with his palaces an dancin' girls. |
Maybe you'd like dancin' girl up there,
too. Ha"'
Here she paused. out Of breath, and the |
Philosopher jokinSly observed that the |
queen Of the Sandwich Islands came home |
the other day with x2,OOO,OOO in her
clothes. and If she would do the sal ne she
might have the whole roof to herself.
'Oh, yes. must get you money ~ she
cried furiously. between shrek and q
sob. Il must take care OF tn house, an
wash an bake an drive an scrub, an